The present invention relates generally to trays, and in particular, to a tray for use in transporting and displaying a plurality of flower pots.
It is often difficult and expensive to transport bulk items such as plants housed within corresponding flower pots. Due to the delicate nature of the plants being transported, great care must be taken to prevent damage thereto. Consequently, the plants are often transported by semi-trailers equipped with a plurality of specially designed shelves which prevent the flower pots from tipping during transport. It has been found that the process for loading the flower pots onto and removing the flower pots from a semi-trailer is both time consuming and expensive.
In order to facilitate the loading of flower pots onto and the unloading of flower pots from a semi-trailer, plastic trays have been developed which allow for multiple flower pots to be simultaneously carried. However, while reducing the labor costs associated with individually loading the flower pots onto and unloading the flower pots from a semi-trailer, such molded plastic trays are relatively expensive to manufacture. As such, it is highly desirable to provide an inexpensive tray for simultaneously carrying multiple flower pots.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a tray for use in transporting and displaying a plurality of flower pots.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a tray for use in transporting and displaying a plurality of flower pots which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a tray for use in transporting and displaying a plurality of flower pots which may be reused by an end user.
In accordance with the present invention, a tray is provided for holding a flower pot during shipment and display. The tray includes a generally flat support wall having an outer periphery. A pot holding structure depends from the support wall. The pot holding structure defines a pot receiving depression for receiving the flower pot therein. An edge member extends about and is interconnected to the outer periphery of the support wall for discouraging the flexing of the support member during shipment of the display.
The pot holding structure includes a generally conical wall having a first end generally co-planar with the support wall and the second closed end. The conical wall defines the pot receiving depression in the tray. The pot holding structure intersects the support wall at an upper edge. The upper edge defines an opening which is in communication with the pot receiving depression. The support wall includes a plurality of spaced finger depressions therein about the upper edge of the pot holding structure to facilitate removal of the flower pot received in the pot receiving depression. It is contemplated that the conical wall be flexible so as to accommodate flower pots of different dimensions within the pot receiving depression. The closed end of the conical wall includes a generally flat supporting surface parallel to the support wall. The flower pot is engageable to the supporting surface when the flower pot is received in the pot receiving depression.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a tray is provided for holding a plurality of flower pots during shipment and display. The tray includes a support structure having an outer periphery. The support structure includes a plurality of pot receiving depressions formed therein. The pot receiving depressions are sized for receiving corresponding flower pots therein. An edge member extends about and is interconnected to the outer periphery of the support structure for discouraging the flexing of the support structure during shipment of the tray.
It is contemplated that each pot receiving depression be defined by a generally conical wall depending from the support structure. Each conical wall has a first end generally co-planer with and connected to the support structure and a second opposite end. The first ends of the conical walls define openings in the support structure which are in communication with corresponding pot receiving depressions. The support structure includes a plurality of spaced finger depressions about corresponding openings to facilitate removal of flower pots received in the flower pot receiving depressions. The conical walls are flexible so as to accommodate flower pots of different dimensions within the pot receiving depressions. Generally flat supporting surfaces are interconnected to corresponding second ends of the conical walls. The generally flat supporting surfaces are generally parallel to the support structure.
The edge member of the tray includes a first sidewall depending from the outer periphery of the support structure and a second sidewall extending laterally from the first support structure. The support structure may include at least one finger receipt aperture therethrough to facilitate the grasping of the tray by a user. The support structure and the edge member may be molded from a sheet of material having a generally uniform thickness.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a tray is provided for transporting and storing a plurality of flower pots. The tray includes a sheet having first and second sides and an outer periphery. The sheet includes a plurality of openings therein. A plurality of pot receiving structures depend from the second side of the sheet. Each pot receiving structure is aligned with a corresponding opening in the sheet and defines a cavity for receiving a flower pot therein. An edge member extends about the outer periphery of the sheet. The edge member includes a first sidewall depending from the outer periphery of the sheet and the second sidewall extending laterally from the first sidewall.
It is contemplated that the sheet include at least one finger receipt aperture therethrough to facilitate the grasping of the tray by a user. Each pot receiving structure includes a generally conical wall depending from the second side of the sheet. The conical wall has a first end adjacent the second side of the sheet and a second closed end. The sheet also includes a plurality of spaced finger depressions therein about corresponding openings to facilitate removal of flower pots received in the cavities.